Norway's King Harald V died at Oslo University Hospital early Friday at the age of 89, the Royal House of Norway confirmed.
“It is with deep grief that we announce that His Majesty King Harald has passed away. King Harald died peacefully at Oslo University Hospital Rikshospitalet Friday 28 August at 6:35 am,” the Royal House said in an official announcement.
Harald had spent 35 years on the throne and will be succeeded by his 53-year-old son, Crown Prince Haakon. Harald was Norway's first king born in the country since the 14th century. Haakon's wife, Crown Princess Mette-Marit, has recently faced controversy over her past correspondence with Jeffrey Epstein.
King Harald leaves behind his wife of 57 years, Queen Sonja, their two children and five grandchildren. His granddaughter, Princess Ingrid Alexandra, is now second in line to the Norwegian throne, following her father Haakon.
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Harald, who became Norway's king in 1991, was Europe's oldest reigning monarch. He had been receiving treatment at Oslo University Hospital since August 17 for haemolytic anaemia, a condition in which red blood cells are destroyed faster than the body can replace them.
On Thursday, the palace announced that Harald's health had deteriorated and that he was in an “extremely serious” condition. Following the announcement, Queen Sonja and Crown Prince Haakon, who had already been acting as regent, cancelled their scheduled engagements, as per media reports.
His death comes amid a turbulent period for Norway's royal family. Documents released in the US in January showed that Mette-Marit had corresponded with Epstein, the late US sex offender, between 2011 and 2014, years after his conviction.
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